Reviewed October 9, 2026. A padlock icon next to a downloaded PlayStation 5 game can mean the console cannot currently verify the right to launch it. Restoring licenses is Sony’s documented first-party troubleshooting option for certain entitlement problems. It does not turn an expired subscription into an active one, transfer purchases between unrelated accounts or restore deleted save files.
Quick answer: On PS5, go to Settings, Users and Accounts, Other, Restore Licenses and follow the screen. Then return to Game Library and test the affected title using the account that owns it.
Before you change any settings
Identify the relevant purchase, device and user account. Use the official provider interface and verify one change at a time, especially when an option affects access for other people in a household.
What the padlock icon may mean
A game may be unavailable because the signed-in account does not own it, a subscription entitlement is no longer active, console sharing is disabled or cached license information is not current. The padlock alone does not identify which explanation applies. Check whether the title was bought outright, received through PlayStation Plus or installed from another household member’s account.
Use Sony’s Restore Licenses menu
PlayStation’s official support page lists the sequence Settings → Users and Accounts → Other → Restore Licenses. Select the option and allow the console to finish. This checks the licenses associated with the signed-in account; it does not buy new rights or change the legal owner of the title.
Verify the purchasing PlayStation Network account
If the game belongs to a different PSN user, restoring on an account that never bought it may not resolve access. Sign in to the legitimate owner account and confirm the product appears in its transaction history or library. Console sharing can allow some access within Sony’s rules, but the purchase remains attached to the original owner.
Check subscription-based games
A title claimed through a subscription tier may depend on a current membership and that game’s continued catalog availability. Restoring licenses cannot re-enable an expired Plus plan or add an unavailable title back into the catalog. Verify the edition and plan you used before assuming the console has lost a valid purchase.
Avoid deleting content too early
License restoration is less destructive than uninstalling and redownloading a large game. Try the official entitlement step first, then restart the console and review network/PSN status. Game saves and the game installer are distinct; uninstalling can cost time without changing purchase rights.
When to ask PlayStation Support
Have the affected game’s exact edition, the PSN purchase receipt and a description of any error code. Do not share passwords, one-time codes or full payment card details. If an entitlement is missing from the owner’s transaction history, support can help distinguish a store billing issue from a console cache problem.
Frequently asked questions
Will Restore Licenses delete games or save data?
Sony describes license restoration as an entitlement troubleshooting action; it is not intended as a deletion or factory reset.
Can I restore a game bought on someone else’s account?
Not as though it were your purchase. Sharing rules may grant access under the owner’s settings, but the license belongs to the purchasing account.
Does this fix an expired PlayStation Plus game?
It cannot renew a subscription or recreate an entitlement that is no longer valid.
Official documentation and related articles
Current policy source: official support guide. Related AVARIXO reading: gaming information and troubleshooting. Account policies, prices, and menus can change; confirm anything affecting purchases in the official help center.
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